Back to School? 'Not So Fast,' Cybercriminals Say

A New York State school district was forced to delay the start of its school year when ransomware struck.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

September 5, 2019

1 Min Read
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New York's Monroe-Woodbury Central School District has delayed the first day of school due to a "cyber security threat" affecting district operations, officials wrote in an email to parents Tuesday night. The district is investigating the attack and plans to reopen schools on Thursday.

Superintendent Elsie Rodriguez apologized to parents for the "unexpected schedule change" and said the extra time would allow the school to prepare for a smooth first day later in the week, NBC New York reports. District data is regularly backed up on and off-site, she noted.

The Orange County district does not know how long it will take to remediate the effects of the reported ransomware campaign, the full extent of which is unknown. An unplanned "Superintendent's Conference Day" was held Tuesday, a day before school was slated to start.

Monroe-Woodbury is the fourth tri-state school district hit with a cyberattack this year, following campaigns against Rockville Center and Mineola in Long Island, and Wolcott in Connecticut.

Read more details here.

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